The power of follow-up
Whether you are a people leader or being a kind friend, there is so much to say for lending an ear, providing support, accountability, and follow-up with a person on how they are, what they may be learning, and what they can celebrate.
We can help ourselves to a point, but it is so much harder keeping ourselves accountable, that is why we have coaches, mentors, fitness trainers, and/or specialists to help us in areas we feel we need some further attention. We could research the information we need, find out what we need to do and put some effort into these areas. However, with so much information at our fingertips, it can be overwhelming, and we give up before we even start.
Personally, I get it. We are all human and sometimes we need that little extra support, follow-up, and accountability. When it comes to business, I am self-motivated, determined, and passionate about delivering an exceptional experience for each of my individual clients and corporate partners. Compare this to my personal well-being, I need a little help. I quickly become busy with work, home duties, family, friends and let myself come last (and I know what I SHOULD be doing). I know what to do, I have knowledge, background and experience in health and fitness. I understand the benefits to my mental performance, emotional regulation, and resilience. But I need support and accountability to help me prioritise it, help me hard wire making ME number one.
As I write this blog, I am just over half way through an 8 week fitness challenge and at the end of the day, I know what and how to do it but it has been so much easier having someone drip feed the information I need and personalise it to suit my needs. The game changer for me is having weekly check-ins with the trainer and a support group of people doing the challenge. It has been fun to share recipes, meal ideas, ask silly questions and of course, cheer each other on!
The same can be applied to our professional life, as a business owner, corporate leader or employee we can all STRIVE when we have information available, support and guidance, space to think and create, accountability buddies or a specialised coach that follows up and checks in on your progress.
So where can you start…
Create some space to think, reflect on your current situation in all areas of life (work, home, family, friends, community, health, fitness, finances, etc).
Identify any key areas you want to put some focus on, areas that may need more attention.
Celebrate what you are currently doing in these areas, what is working well for you and how that makes you feel when you are ticking the boxes.
Highlight any things that can get in the way, then think about ways around them.
Then the most important step, find YOUR PERSON. That person that you can confide in, someone non-judgmental, not bringing their own agenda, they are there for YOU. Ask them to be your person. Provide them with what you need from them to help you succeed, stay on track and accountable.
The process I followed with my health and fitness area was to start making myself more of a priority. Life gets busy, work gets busy and I immediately put myself last on the list. I need to go to bed earlier so I wake up earlier to fit in exercise. Take more brain breaks during the day and go for a walk outside. Practice mindful eating, to limit snacking when I do not really need it. Plan and eat more each day, stop skipping meals. I also focus on enjoying the process, celebrating the little wins of lifting heavier weights, walking more km’s, or feeling better in my clothes!
The same principle applies in the corporate world. It takes some focus and reflection on what you need to start doing to achieve your goals or targets. What you need to stop doing that may be getting in your way. What you can celebrate and continue to do that serves you well and contributes to the success of your goals or targets.
Are there any areas in your personal/professional life that need some attention?
Who can you lean on for support and follow-up?
If you need some help building momentum, check out our upcoming program Connect & Grow, commencing January 2021. You can find more information here.